QUEBEC CITY -- Joëlle Gosselin netted a hat-trick as No.1-ranked Laval whitewashed McGill 5-0 in RSEQ women's soccer at Terrain PEPS in the provincial capital on Sunday. The five-goal onslaught set a McGill single-season record for most goals allowed in regular-season play, since women's soccer's inaugural season under the old CIAU banner in 1987.

"We started off poorly and gave up a very early goal on a corner kick," said McGill head coach Jose-Luis Valdes.  "We usually bounce back pretty quickly but this time unfortunately we were nervous and not able to play to our capabilities.  Our passing was off and as a team, our defensive formation and mindset was just not at the level needed to compete against a team like Laval."
 
Laval had a 5-2 edge in corners and a 14-2 advantage in shot attempts, including an 8-0 monopoly on target. The Martlets committed five fouls to Laval's eight.

"We are disappointed in the result, however we must learn from this game to make a few tactical adjustments," added Valdes. "But we also need to be focused and ready to play right from the start. We need to focus on what we do best -- moving the ball around quickly and with an attacking mentality. And defensively, we cannot allow as many scoring opportunities as we did in this game."

Laval came out quickly, with midfielder Laurie Couture-Dallaire scoring unassisted in just the fourth minute of play. Gosselin, a graphic design student from Quebec City, tallied her three goals in the 20th, 34th, and 66th minutes. Arielle Roy-Petitclerc registered the other goal in the 22nd minute.

Martlets goalkeeper Cassandra Fafalios of Richmond Hill, Ont., stopped three of eight shots faced in the losing effort. Marie-Joëlle Vandal of Lavaltrie, Que., earned a rare "no-save shutout" for the Rouge et Or, as neither of McGill's two shot attempts were on target.

McGill (2-2-1) next hosts UQAM (3-2-0) for the "Pack the Pitch" game at Percival Molson Stadium, at 6 p.m. on Sept. 30. Laval (5-0-1) visits Concordia (1-3-1) that evening at 8:30 p.m.

MARTLET MURMURS: In playoffs, the Martlets also conceded five goals in a game twice. It last happened 14 years ago, with a 5-4 overtime loss to Concordia on Nov. 1, 2002.  The only other time that McGill had conceded five goals in league or playoff action was a 5-0 loss to Dalhousie in the CIS bronze medal game at Victoria, B.C., Nov. 15, 1998... The Rouge et Or also extended their undefeated streak over McGill to 8-0-1 since a 3-1 Martlet victory on Sept. 9, 2012 in Quebec City, including seven straight wins, dating back to a 0-0 draw on Oct. 27, 2013.

FOR MORE INFO:
Kirsten Whelan or Earl Zukerman
McGill Sports Info Office
(514) 398-7012